Great emotions on the fourth day of the Uzbekistan Judo World Championships. The official opening ceremony entertained the local crowd with an impressive display of talent and passion. The President of the IJF Marius Vizer and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov, officially opened the World Judo Championships 2022. The pride of the country emerged above all, at the time of the national anthem.
The races of the fourth day
For the -63 kg category – absent judo legend Clarisse Agbegnenou – Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard seemed intent on ascending the empty throne, with a dominant ground job that earned her a place in the final.
Megumi Horikawa, was destined to increase Japan’s 4 gold medals with spectacular judo. In the final, Horikawa performed a textbook Uchi-mata to win the title; she the Japanese athlete was clearly delighted to earn the red patch on her back and she established herself as the new athlete to watch and was awarded by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov.
And then the Georgian explosion of Tato Grigalashvili, who won the final. World silver looks set to do better this year. In the final with his most direct rival, the opponent of last year’s world final, the Belgian Matthias Casse who snatched the victory from the jaws of the Japanese Fujiwara.
An epic rematch that gave one of the most beautiful matches of the tournament. Two incredible Judokas at their best. The whole stadium in a frenzy, with great throws of the Georgian, to score Waza-ari and take away the world title at Casse, an incredible moment of Judo. World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue presented the medals to the winners.
And then, to complete an exciting day, yesterday’s world champions met their fans, a wonderful opportunity for an enthusiastic audience who came from afar looking for photos and autographs, happy to give unforgettable memories and moments.
